


Dragon Tales, Volume 2: Forging a knight

by Morbid1Curiosity



Category: RWBY
Genre: Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Dragons, F/F, Family, Fantasy, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Magic, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-09-21
Updated: 2020-02-19
Packaged: 2020-10-25 02:34:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 14,903
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20716664
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Morbid1Curiosity/pseuds/Morbid1Curiosity
Summary: Some say that to forge a great weapon you require three things. First one is a skill. Ability to shape the metal, to give it form. Second is effort. Motivation and raw physical strength that allows for the skill to flourish fully. Lastly, we need time. Time and patience to allow the other two to do their job. Yet there is one last thing a lot of people forget. Fourth element. The material that the weapon is forged from. While it's a mundane and not as impressive thing, it is the fundament that the previous three things stand on. If it crumbles, everything else crumbles with it.





	1. Prologue

_There was nothing but darkness surrounding her. No matter where she looked, the endless abyss was the only thing that her eyes could perceive. It wasn't cold like one expected from a dark place like this. It was... Perfect, ideal. Like she wasn't able to feel anything at all. Was that the case? If so, would that mean she was dead?_

_Death... It should mean so much yet that thought didn't change how calm she felt. Like it didn't matter, her own life. Miniscule at best. But she didn't remember her death. She couldn't remember anything, really. Who was she? Do you forget when you die? Was this the case? Otherwise, why was death such a prominent thing on her mind right now?_

_It could be minutes, hours maybe even months as she stood there before something in her surrounding would change. Yet the impact of that change was immediately visible. Small light among the endless darkness. Her eyes were first to notice it. Pale and barely visible, yet against the thick void, it was blinding. That wasn't all, she felt the warmth. For the first time in forever, she felt warmth on her body, and the source of it all was that small glimmer somewhere among this void._

_It was enticing in such an obvious way, it set off all the alarms inside her head yet she had nothing else to do but to walk towards it._

_Time had no place in here. She walked towards the small, fading light that glimmered in the back of this forsaken place without any idea of how far away it is or even how long has she walked towards it so far. She wasn't sure why though. All she knew was that she had to. Oddly enough she had no incentive to think about herself or this place. Who she was, how did she get here or if this was her final destination? Nothing. It was all held inside that light. All those answers and while she didn't care for any of them, she knew that she had to get there._

_Suddenly the light started to expand. At first slowly, which made her wonder if she was getting closer or perhaps was it just her hopeful mind doing tricks on her, but very soon it became obvious that the light was expanding. The brightness surrounded her and started to burn her eyes to the point where she had to cover them to escape it. Once more she wasn't sure how much time has passed. A split moment? Days? Months? But as suddenly as the light surrounded her it would disappear leaving darkness in its wake. Was it truly darkness? Or was she blinded by the light? The fear of unknown paralyzed her and made her too afraid of uncovering her eyes._

_Just like last time, something brought forth her curiosity, but this time it was a sound. Footsteps and ones that were getting closer. Slow and metallic. She did it. She uncovered her eyes and wanted to sigh in relief as she could still see. The sight she saw surprised her, as it was the first familiar thing in this endless abyss. A person, a person she knew. This was Weiss, she knew that name. Yet something was... Off about this Weiss_

_She was wearing armor, a light looking armor perhaps, but still one made out of some strange metal. With a sword at her side and a cape at the back. Her face was... The same but different if that made sense, which like anything in this place escaped her ability to reason. It seemed normal, but there was this weariness to it. Exhausted? No, more like... Used? That also wasn't the right word. No, there was more. Her eyes, her blue eyes were on fire. Her irises looked like they were set on fire inside her eyes. Burning in the same, pale blue light._

_As she was pondering this, Weiss extended a hand towards her and she found herself unable to resist this silent call, as she reached out to the white-haired girl, letting Weiss grasp her hand. The armor-clad girl started to walk, pulling her along. She thought about saying something, talking to Weiss, asking her about their situation, talking about anything really. Yet no words could leave her mouth. She gave up, by now understanding that this place would expose her to the next part of its plan after a certain amount of time._

_Before she noticed, she was led towards something, once more, new to her sight. Items scattered across the floor... Ground... Whatever it was that they walked on. Not just any objects, but candles. Each in its own color, although it was oddly difficult for her to focus enough to comprehend them. Deep down she knew she recognized the colors. Before she could ponder this oddity more, Weiss filled her entire vision as she took place in front of her. The white-haired girl reached out towards her own belt and took out an ornamented dagger. The shape, color, details. It was all there, yet it was such an elusive thing for her right now, just like the candles from before._

_Weiss smiled at her, a sad smile, really. Then it happened. The girl plunged the dagger into her own stomach. The blade went through metal as if it was nothing but a piece of cloth. For the first time in this place, she felt some kind of emotion. Shock. Shock as she was a witness of the girl in front of her plunging a dagger into her own guts, just like that. Without a word, without any meaning behind it._

_Yet there was a catch to this. No, perhaps catch wasn't the right word. There was something wrong with this situation, not only because of what just happened. There was something wrong on a more... fundamental level. This wasn't Weiss. Or rather it was but wasn't. This was Weiss, but not the real Weiss. This was a mirror. A mirror that shattered before her at the realization._

_She glanced down at herself, only to see the same plated glove tightly grasping the blade. Blood rushed up to her throat and escaped her mouth as she could taste the metallic taste on her tongue. She collapsed onto her knees, feeling the pain, a mixture of fire and cold filled her guts as she saw her own blood cover the ground of this dark abyss. The crimson liquid did not wander aimlessly, no. It found gouging that covered the area around the candles. Symbols and strange letters, now visible thanks to the color of her blood._

_Her vision became blurry, she felt weak. With one last glance, she noticed that one of the candles would light itself up with a pale flame._

oooOOOooo

Weiss sat up as her eyes snapped open. She felt the sweat slowly creep down her face and neck, her breathing quick and irregular. She felt her heart pounding inside her chest. It was a dream, just a dream. She was in a room, the sun already shyly peeked through the window. She covered her face with her hands. She still didn't feel safe. No, not safe. She couldn't shake off that feeling of dread. She had plenty of nightmares yet none left her this... Shaken.

"Weiss, it's early, go back to sleep." A tired voice could be heard which made her spun her head to look at the potential source of it. A naked girl laid beside her. This did not help. Quite the opposite, as Weiss did the only thing her instinct filled brain could come up with and she proceeded to kick the girl off the bed, moving towards the opposite edge to get as far as possible from this intruder.

This just kept piling up. Where was she? This wasn't her bed or even her chambers. There was someone sleeping beside her, not just someone, but a girl without any attire. She had no recollection of what happened up till when she woke up. This blankness inside her brain only fueled her panic.

Meanwhile one thud later, a very annoyed girl would slowly raise up from the ground, rubbing her head with a hurtful grimace. "H-Hey! What gives?!"

Weiss focused her attention fully at the girl, mostly on her face since... Well, the attire part. Or rather lack of it. Silver eyes, one glance into the girl's silver eyes made Weiss understand at least one thing. "Ruby...?" Now she remembered, this girl's name was Ruby.

Saying that name out loud seemed to be the key that unlocked her memories, at least part of it. She indeed was an intruder... And a kidnapper. But she also was... Someone special.

"Yes? Weiss, you alright? You uh... You seem out of it." The redhead, now identified as Ruby, send her a worried glance. "I mean, kicking me off aside." She added and judging by her nervous smile it was an attempt to improve the overall mood, which didn't really help.

"I... I don't know." Weiss looked at her own hands, she felt calmer now, she knew something. Still, she felt so out of it and this feeling just frustrated her to no end. As if her own mind was some strange math problem she just couldn't figure out. "Where are we? What happened?" She glanced at the dragon girl with a troubled expression.

Ruby waited a moment as if expecting this to be something less serious, perhaps a joke? It took her a moment to understand that she was being serious. "H-Hey, hey." The redhead called out to her, climbing the bed and moving to get closer. "Calm down, I'm here with you. Just start from the beginning so I can understand what's wrong." Ruby said in a soft voice, gently placing both hands on Weiss's shoulders.

She glanced with her own pale blue eyes into the silver of Ruby. Her eyes were an oddity, like a bad illusion. Normal at first glance, but the longer one looked at them, the more they could notice how different they were. Yet she was used to that, if anything, this familiarity right now helped. Besides, it was Ruby, the girl that she... Enjoyed the company of. With a deep breath, she nodded. "Right, of course. I'm being irrational."

"Well, more violent than irrational, although I guess that's part of it huh?" The redhead smirked at her own words.

Weiss wasn't amused at the joke, if anything, it made her feel the opposite way. She winced and glanced to the side. "Of course, I apologize. I did not..."

"Hey, I was joking." Ruby interrupted her as she rubbed her own neck. "Not the best time for jokes I know, but... I guess even without knowing what's up with you today, I want to find a way to cheer you up. Nevermind, tell me what's wrong. I'm all ears." Once she finished speaking, The dragon girl would reach out and take Weiss's hands into her own.

The ex-princess nodded once more, deciding it would be best to just get to the explanation. "I had a dream, an awful dream." For a second she considered going into details of her dream but decided against it. Bad dreams were just that, bad dreams... Besides, she didn't want to recount out loud the events of it. "I don't really remember much of it." She lied, hoping that the girl wouldn't see past it. A white lie, she could always tell her about it some other time, it wasn't important right now. "When I woke up I... I couldn't remember anything." She paused and shook her head. "I had no memories of how we meet or anything past that." Her eyes moved to the side. "I woke up in an unfamiliar room, in a bed that didn't belong to me with a stranger beside me."

"Ouch." Ruby commented although Weiss wasn't sure if it was about the lack of memory or the stranger part.

"A-Anyway, I looked at you and... I remembered. At least part of it. I'm still not sure where we are, why we are here or what happened in the past few days." She finished with a sigh.

"Huh? Oh... Oh!" Ruby snapped her fingers at that. "I know why, well maybe. It's a possibility." The redhead nodded. "Anyway, to summarize what happened in the past few days? We... Uhm..." The dragon girl blushed. "We bonded, Weiss." The silver-eyed girl offered the simplest of explanation she could think of with a meek smile.

"...Huh?" Weiss blinked. "But then why are you naked." Her eyes grew as she realized or rather was reminded of that fact. "You're naked!" With that said she pushed the dragon girl away and covered her eyes.

"H-Hey that's not my fault, alright?! You're the reason we're both naked, you know?" Came a hurtful reply from the girl.

"What do you mean it's... my... fault..." She frowned. "Oh..." Then it all came clean, her mind unlocking from whatever kind of strange state it was in. Not only the moment she met the girl and all the corresponding events, but also the day of bonding. The day and... Night. "Oh!" As her face grew red she did the only rational thing that could be done as she hid under the blanket. "Oh no."

Ruby blushed and glanced to the side. "Yeaa... You sort of got me by surprise with that attitude of yours."

"Those were actions unfitting of a princess, horrible, awful!" Weiss's grasp on the blanket became stronger as she decided to live here from now on. There was no world that she could live in, that would accept her actions. At least in regards to her status. Well, the previous status, but it still counts!

"You're telling me, I knew royalty could be demanding but I expected it to be all regal and refined, not a princess acting like a..."

"Stop!" Weiss interrupted her, not even wanting to know to what kind of thing she could be compared to. "Just... Stop. This morning was awful enough already."

"Aw, hey I was just joking, I thought you got better and you don't really care that much." Ruby said as she once more moved closer to the human girl. "Come on, off with it." She grabbed the blanket and started to wrestle for it with the ex-princess.

"No! Leave me alone, I'm staying here forever." Came a stubborn reply, as the white-haired girl fought fiercely to maintain her new domain. Alas, she was no match for a dragon, and soon she was uncovered. As that happened she blushed, crossing her arms to cover her chest, her eyes too embarrassed to even offer a glance at the redhead.

"Come on, Weiss. Don't be like that." With a playful grin, she pounced the girl and pinned her to the bed. Before Weiss could understand what happened, she saw Ruby's face dangerously close to hers. "See? This way all you can see is my face."

This, of course, could have only one outcome, at least initially. As Weiss blushed, feeling the other girl on top of her with their faces as close as they were. This just wasn't something she was used to. Not yet at least. Yet she didn't have any time to say anything in that matter. "Whoa, Weiss! Your eyes. So it's true!"

Her eyes? As she wondered what Ruby could mean, a sudden image flashed inside her mind. The image of herself in the dream. Back then, her eyes were an oddity. A cold shiver ran down her spine at that as she felt her heart began to race. "Ruby? Is there a mirror in here?" She asked, surprising even herself with how calm she sounded.

"Uh? A mirror?" The dragon girl rose up and glanced around. "Oh yeah! There's the big one next to the wardrobe, why?" She glanced back at Weiss, tilting her head to the side.

The ex-princess didn't give an answer, instead she just slowly got up herself, Ruby getting out of the way as she wasn't sure what the human girl was doing. Weiss slowly moved towards the mirror, forgetting or simply not caring anymore about the fact she was lacking any attire. She couldn't care less, not right now. Not with this immensely bad feeling looming over her shoulder. She purposely walked in a way to avoid any accidental reveal of herself in the mirror. Finally, she took the last step and found herself in front of the mirror. There, her nightmare came to life as her eyes, her blue eyes were on fire. Her irises looked like they were set on fire inside her eyes. Burning in the same, pale blue light. At that moment she could do only one thing.

She screamed.

oooOOOooo

"Are you sure you're fine?"

"I am."

"One hundred percent sure?"

"Ruby." Weiss let a tired sigh, she felt like she was back in the castle, which was not a good way to feel. "I'm fine, really."

"W-Well, with all that happened this morning and that final freak out? It's only natural that I'm concerned." The redhead grimaced and crossed her arms

"I know Ruby. I apologize, but I didn't choose to feel that way, you know?" Normally she would look up to meet the silver gaze, but she was too tired and too afraid of what she could see if she did.

"I can sort of understand that." There it was, something that Weiss wasn't used to. Compassion. Perhaps it made her previous situation sound a bit rougher than it really was, but if she ever found herself in a similar situation in her previous life, so to speak, she most definitely would not have anyone agree with anything she said if only to avoid further conflicts. If anything? They would push towards said conflict.

"Thank you." She finally managed to look up at Ruby, offering her a small smile, which the dragon girl returned. "So is this... Those things because we got married?"

"Bonding is not marriage!" Ruby snapped back in an instant, which made Weiss smirk. "You lack the understanding of the significance of what occurred between us." She followed up and glanced to the side in annoyance.

Deciding she went too far, Weiss thought about a way to fix her little mistake. Changing the topic or at least slightly adjusting it becoming a viable solution at the moment. "Well, if it makes you think any better of me, I do understand the significance of at least one things that occurred between us tonight." It took a lot, especially in her current mental state, to deliver that line with a straight face. Sadly she couldn't control whatever it was that made people blush, and her cheeks would flare-up.

Although Ruby was no different, as she got even more red than usual, which was mostly her clothes of course, with a fake cough she started to nervously look around the room. "Yes, well... You at least got that." She mumbled out failing to keep her composure.

"So, is the bonding the reason why I woke up and all those strange things happened?" Weiss asked again, this time making sure to not distract the conversation any further.

"It's complicated." Ruby's eyes glanced to the side.

"Go on." The Schnee princess nudged on.

"Well, human and dragon bonding is already strange, so strange things happening as an outcome of another strange thing is not strange anymore, as such it's hard for me to say if those things qualify under..."

"Ruby!" Weiss frowned as she rose her voice to interrupt the blabbering of the other girl. "Please, just tell me what's going on." She continued in a more calmly manner.

The redhead let out a deep sigh. "I don't know."

"Great." Weiss rested her face in her hands as she leaned forward in her chair.

"L-Let me finish!" Seeing the human girl's reaction, Ruby quickly followed up. "I don't know because nobody knows. People only speculate since it's such a rare occurrence that there are no... What's that word. When you have an established thing as being the truth..." The silver-eyed girl began to rumble her fingers against the table, human language was so annoying sometimes.

"An axiom?" Weiss offered.

"Yeah! There are no axioms in regards to human and dragon bonding buuuut..." She paused, waiting for any reaction from the princess. Sadly none came, as Weiss patiently waited for the rest of the information. Slightly disappointed, the redhead continued. "I did research this topic for quite a bit now, so while there are no definitive truths, there are some things that might line up with what happened or might happen." Ruby nodded and puffed her chest out proudly, expecting praises. While she did receive attention, it was a different kind.

"You researched this topic for a bit? That would mean when I was still officially a princess, correct? So even back then you thought about marrying me?" Weiss knew exactly what she was doing when she chose to focus on this part and when she used those exact words. Although she was genuinely curious why would Ruby research that for such a long time as she claimed. A tiny glimmer of hope that it was because she caught the girl's attention from the get-go did feel her chest with a pleasant, warm feeling.

Ruby slammed her hands against the table. "It's. Not. Marriage." She said slowly, although a poor performer, as she did a lousy job with hiding her embarrassment with her fake anger. "A-Anyway, it's not like that. I mean it's complicated, alright? S-So don't think too much about it." The dragon girl nodded. "W-What's important is that I found out about certain... Uh, symptoms? No, that makes it sound like some weird sickness." The dragon girl frowned thoughtfully, trying to find an alternative word.

"Ruby, please. Just go on. We can call those symptoms for now." Weiss was slowly growing impatient and if she allowed for the other girl to have her way they would run in circles more and more.

"Right! Of course." The redhead took a deep breath. "I'll start with what seemed logical for me, as a Dragon. Which might be a bit confusing, but let me finish before you question any of it, alright?" As Weiss gave a nod, Ruby continued. "What made sense to me, was anything related to the name that some people in the past gave those that bonded with dragons who were not dragons themselves. They were referred to as per the title of Dragonsoul."

"Dragonsoul? That's a bit... Unoriginal." Weiss grimaced.

"Hey, I asked you to not question stuff before I finish, right? Right." Ruby nodded at her own words. "It's not some cliche name that's related to dragons in some way and to glorify those that managed to bond with a dragon. Both parts of this name are related to the first symptom even you're aware of by now." She paused, allowing the princess to get the answer by herself.

Weiss, as per usual, would not disappoint. "My eyes." She said although it sounded more like she spoke to herself than to Ruby. "How does it related to either dragons or my soul? Outside of me bonding with a dragon." The Schnee frowned.

Ruby clapped her hands and grinned. "Because there's a saying about eyes being the mirror of the soul, no?"

Weiss let a tired sigh as she pinched the bridge of her nose. "Ruby, you're not making too much sense. I thought you would tell me the logical part first, not refer to some sayings more fitting of poems than logic."

"No, no, no, just follow along, alright? That's the soul part being explained. Now comes the dragon part. Remember how I explained how every dragon has a fire within them? Which isn't really a fire, but... Well, your language has just the fire word to get as close to the meaning as possible." Ruby grew more energetic the further she went with her speech, which made Weiss uncertain how to feel about it all. So far it didn't explain much. If anything it just made things more confusing.

"I uh... You might have but feel free to repeat yourself, please." The ex-princess nodded at her own words.

"Right, that's basically what makes us Dragons. I guess in a much more puny understanding, and that's how the name was made for it in the first place, it can be assumed that it allows us to breathe fire, fly and all those things." Ruby scratched the back of her head. "While I can't say much on this topic, I think it was once said to me, not in regards to our current topic at hand, that this is what differs dragons and mortals. We don't have a soul, we have something much greater." As the redhead finished, she decided to take a pause in case there were questions or Weiss simply wanted to comment on something, even if she asked not to comment till she finished, it would be hard not to consider how this could have sounded for a human. Or was she just thinking too high of herself right now?

An easy bet, as Weiss frowned, mulling over all those pieces of information. Something had to ding inside her head as the princess rose her head to glance at Ruby. "Two questions. First, does that mean that... You gave me part of your soul? I don't care that it's not called a soul, for the sake of simplicity, let's call it a soul. A high-quality soul or whatever it is that will satisfy your dragon self. You gave me part of your soul." The second time sounded more like Weiss was stating it more than asking about it.

Still, Ruby decided to answer properly. "I did. It's what bonding is about. Usually, it's exchanging parts of that fire, that inner flame, and thus connecting two dragons, making both stronger as their inner flame was two times as strong as before, at least in theory."

Weiss's elbows rested against the table with her head leaned forward, she rested it between her hands, supporting it and keeping it from just falling onto the table. "My second question or rather a statement at this point. This flame is now part of me?"

"Yes." Ruby nodded. "This is why people like you were and are referred to as Dragonsoul. Because part of your soul is that of a dragon." The redhead cleared her throat. "Some sources claim that your human soul was overtaken by it, considering the... How did you put it? The difference in quality." The dragon girl offered a sheepish smile. "Which leads to the first and last part of this puzzle, your eyes. They mirror your soul. I guess when you get excited only, so those... High energy emotions boil up inside of you and your inner dragon shows. To put into words I guess." Ruby shrugged. "Look, I gathered what I could and tried to connect it into something that had some logic behind it."

"You're saying." Weiss began slowly. "That my soul has your fire in it. Your dragon fire. Which shows through my eyes."

"That would be the short version." Ruby nodded. "There's one more thing in regards to the inner fire."

The Schnee massaged her template at that. "I'm afraid to ask, but please, go on."

"Before I start, it's not literally how it works, alright? It's just a comparison to make it easier to understand. It's... Weird to explain this without you feeling it fully like I do." With a simple nod from the other girl, Ruby continued. "I said that it makes us dragons, right? Which is true. It... Uh for lack of a better word, covers us, coats us in some invisible force that allows us to do things actively, as well as does things to us passively." Ruby put her hands behind her head as she leaned back on her chair. "Ugh, it's so awkward to explain. The gist of it is that we're able to do things like breathe fire and fly but that's also why we're immortal, we can't' get sick and all those things." Ruby nodded. "Now I said there are passive and active ways of using the inner fire for a dragon. That's because certain things just... Are for us. While we need to learn others."

"...You mean I'll be able to fly?" Weiss blinked.

"What? No! No, I don't think any of those... Things that a dragon can learn are accessible to you. Although I can't be entirely sure. The understanding was that it will affect you in some more passive way. Although it's hard to say what way." Ruby concluded and took a deep breath.

Weiss wasn't sure how she felt. Not entirely. One thing she was certain of was that she felt weak. Physically weak after all she heard. She slowly moved up, helping herself with one of her hands as she felt her legs grow shaky under her own body weight. Ruby observed with wary eyes as the human girl took a few steps, only to stumble over her own feet. It was that moment where Ruby decided to jump up to keep Weiss from falling, offering her some support. "Weiss!" She called out for her attention, only to notice how pale, even more than usual, the girl became. "Weiss?"

"Y-You know when you kidnaped me." The Schnee girl began with a weak and shaky voice. She leaned fully against the other girl. "I admit I didn't think much about it." She made another pause. It's like all of this broke a lock inside her mind, the one that kept it all inside a chest called too unreal to be legitimate. Now that the chest not only got opened, but it got broken into pieces. "I didn't think much past wanting to getaway. Getaway to be with you." She smiled weakly, more to herself at the memories of the past than anything. "I really thought that this bonding thing was just marriage. Dragon marriage sure, so I was assuming more was involved. Frankly, I know it was ridiculous to think that yet accept it, in hindsight we barely meet, at least to consider marriage." A dry chuckle left her throat. "What else could I do but to accept you, believe you. If something happened I'd be alone and without any plan. I would most likely consider..." She shook her head. No, that was not appropriate. "I didn't know that this would make me not human. That this would change me." She closed her eyes. "Make me different... Make me become someone else."

"No, Weiss." Ruby called out, slowly moving to stand in front of the girl. Gradually, she let go of her, making sure Weiss wouldn't lose balance. The Schnee simply leaning against the table, as her blue eyes glanced at her quizzically. Ruby didn't stop at that, this wasn't just reassuring the girl. This wasn't cheering her up. No, this was a statement. This was something important. With that in mind, she kneeled in front of her, taking one of her hands into her own. "I don't know what you became. Are you still a human or are you a Dragon, maybe none of those. Maybe you're that Dragonsoul I found out about. I don't know." Ruby shook her head. "What I know is that you're Weiss. You were Weiss and you still are Weiss. Nothing changed about who you are." Ruby closed her eyes and nuzzled her cheek into the hand she stole away from Weiss. The same hand would cup her cheek, the cold fingers caressing the skin, making her smile.

"What's done is done." Weiss said as she smiled down, soon meeting the silver gaze of the dragon girl. "I need some fresh air."

oooOOOooo

Things calmed down as the day went on. They had some food and now Weiss was enjoying some tea. She discovered that Ruby wasn't a bad cook. Although her previous opinion was based on her ability to cook food over a fire in the wilderness, which meant that all she lacked was some proper appliances and something more quality than a hunted rabbit and some found shrubs and mushrooms. With her mind at ease, at least partially, and her stomach full, she decided it was time to ask more grounded questions.

"Ruby? I have to ask but how per se did you manage to rent an entire inn for two days." Once all the craziness from earlier settled down, Weiss actually noticed that they were in a building. An empty building that didn't seem abandoned, quite the opposite actually. Ruby acted as if nothing weird occurred, so she didn't really stress herself about what could have happened for them to have an entire inn for themselves, but something much simpler pushed her towards asking about this. Simply put, she was curious.

"Mmm?" Ruby glanced up from her laying position. "I rented it, why?" That answer was so simple and obvious that Weiss wasn't sure how to further drill this topic.

She shook her head. "How? I mean I know how. What I'm asking is how did you get the funds to do so."

"Oh that, well..." Ruby scratched her head. "Remember how I admitted to not having a dragon hoard of my own? Well, that doesn't mean my family doesn't. I got exactly five gems before I ventured out. It was to help me deal with greedy, lesser races." The redhead ended with a nonchalant shrug.

Weiss frowned, it made sense. Although this did bring up the future. Their future. "What are we going to do next?" She asked as she glanced at the dragon girl

"Next? Uh, well it's some time till dinner and I haven't..."

"No." Weiss interrupted her. "I mean... What are we going to do from now on? Do we have a goal? Are we heading somewhere?" While happy besides Ruby, Weiss couldn't help but worry. Sure, wandering around with her would be fun, but to what extent was that safe?

"We're going to make your dream come true of course. We're actually waiting for someone to pick us up that will help us with that." Ruby grinned and just as she said that, there was a, quite violent, knock on the door. Although it sounded as if someone was testing the endurance of the poor thing. "Speaking of!" Ruby said and hopped off her spot and approached the door.

Weiss decided to join her, as she was curious to meet this mysterious person that was apparently able to help with whatever Ruby talked about. With that in mind, she decided to take one last sip of her tea. Which she couldn't fully complete. As soon as her lips touched the liquid, a loud bang came from the other side of the room. Weiss didn't have too much time to asses the situation, yet what she saw, made her quickly ran towards the scene.

Something kicked the door in, and not just kicked, it made it fly inside together with Ruby, who was now under the pile of wood that previously served as doors to this fine establishment. She was slowly approached by an unknown aggressor with its sword pointing at the dragon girl. Weiss couldn't identify who it was that assaulted the girl. Too little time and the hood they had concealed most of their face, especially from her perspective.

What were a few seconds, felt like hours for Weiss, but soon she found herself between the attacker and Ruby. Without any real plan, she reached her arm out towards the stranger. What happened next shocked both of them. Both Weiss and the stranger. In front of her palm appeared a glyph. Weiss saw those before, briefly and from time to time, but she knew magic when she saw it. They did have a court wizard when she was still living back at the castle.

The magic grew into a shield that was of her own size. As the initial glow subsided, the light of the glyph illuminated the darkness that concealed the strangers hood. What she saw made her heart stop and her knees weak. With her voice barely audible, she forced her a single word out.

"Winter?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea if I used the word axiom correctly. Probably not, but hey! At least I tried, right? Right...
> 
> I really liked writing this and I had plenty of ideas in regards to this AU so I thought to myself "Why not just write it" so I did and here we are. This took me a while as I rewrote the "Dream" sequence a few times from scratch. Even now I'm not fully satisfied with it but I know I won't do any better.
> 
> When I was fleshing out this chapter, it seemed to me as if it would barely be half as long as it is now. But as I was going with this chapter and noticed how long it became, I decided to cut out some of the fluff from it since it was supposed to be like a prologue to this mini-story.
> 
> I also know I made this cheesy and gave it "typical au complex issues stuff" but what can I say I had fun writing this.
> 
> I prolly should write the next chapter as soon as possible huh? Considering the cliffhanger... Or is this not a cliffhanger? Either way, hope you enjoyed!


	2. New Path

"Winter?" Weiss couldn't believe what she saw. Whatever magic she was just able to summon vanished as her emotions drifted away from anger and fear. Not completely, of course, but it was no longer burning in the same way it initially did when she heard the door being kicked in.

The older woman pulled her hood down. "Weiss." There it was, the same voice she remembered. The same troubled way of speaking. She never was sure if it was just her imagination or if it was really there, but whenever Winter spoke to her, directly to her, there was this… Strange anxiety. Weiss never could understand it fully.

Besides, It was always like this. Their greeting of just acknowledging that each other… Existed? Was there? Who knows. The ex-princess remembered that it became as such down the road of time. A sudden shift that made the relations between them… Complicated.

This scene, as if frozen in time, had potential to last for a long time, as neither of the royal women knew how to react to one another, luckily there was one more person in the room, and it was her grunts that dispelled the situation, at least off of Weiss's mind, as she was reminded that Ruby just had a close encounter with… Flying doors?

"Ruby!" She called out, turning around and quickly jumping towards where the girl laid, under a small pile of wood. "Are you alright? Are you hurt?" Her attention was divided between moving the planks off of her and looking over her body for any injuries. Her brain couldn't settle if this situation was dangerous or if it should be considered as trivial. Not often did one get kicked in with the doors.

I-I'm fine, just a bit bruised heh. Takes more than some doors to beat up a dragon!" Ruby tried to grin, but it couldn't cover the pained expression. While Weiss believed that nothing major was done, it was clear to her that it had to hurt. Why wouldn't it? Still, the fact that the dragon girl tried to not worry her made Weiss smile in return.

Sound of loud footstep reminded her of the situation all of them were in. She turned her head to see Winter move closer to them. "What are you doing here?" Weiss still wasn't sure if she should be angry with her older sister. Of course, she should, she hurt Ruby. At the same time… At the same time, she was massively conflicted over this entire thing too much to asses those things correctly.

"I'm here at the request of your wyrm." Winter explained calmly and crouched beside them, moving aside a few pieces of wood.

"My wyrm?" That made Weiss blink until she realized what it meant. Her blue eyes immediately moved to look at Ruby.

The redhead just offering a shrug and a sheepish smile. "Uh… Surprise?"

"You didn't lie." Winter said slowly as she glanced at the younger pair, standing up and offering a hand to help the redhead up.

"Of course not! Is it family related to think I lie about stuff?" The redhead huffed in annoyance, accepting the help.

It didn't take long for Weiss to sprung up after them and stomp her feet in annoyance. "What is the meaning of this?!" At least now she knew that she should be angry. Not just with Winter, but Ruby as well.

"I'll or We'll explain on the road. We don't have much time before the roads start getting crowded." As Winter noticed that her younger sister wanted to protest, she raised her hand. Even in her angered state, Weiss respected her too much to interrupt her. "Know that I don't mean you or the dragon any harm. I'm here to help." A small half-smile appeared on her lips. "As for my rude entrance, I apologize. I simply did not believe your bondmate. Now that I saw it for my own eyes I can tell she was telling the truth."

Weiss just stared at her sister in disbelief, not sure which part of her speech to address. For once in her life, she decided to reach for the low hanging fruit. "You… You know of us?" It sounded strange to voice it like that, as the secret wasn't that she and Ruby were together in some odd dragon fashion. Weiss wasn't even sure if it was part of the bigger lie or just a corollary of that bigger lie. Maybe both at the same time? At this point, Weiss will believe in a lot of things, even illogical statements.

Winter let a soft sigh and closed her eyes. "Of course, you showed it yourself when I intruded like that. The way you reacted, your eyes and… Magic." She opened her eyes once more and glanced at Weiss. "But now please, we must depart as soon as possible. If you have questions we can speak on the road."

The ex-princess's eyes moved slowly towards the dragon. Ruby's own eyes glanced at the surrounding, as she both felt as if she was guilty of something and at the same time it felt a bit awkward for her to be the… Well, the third wheel in this strange family reunion. Yet as she felt Weiss's gaze, she glanced at her briefly, seeing confusion in the blue eyes she just offered a small, uncertain nod.

This wasn't too reassuring, but Weiss couldn't ask for more. Finally, with a deep, tired sigh she nodded her head. "Fine, let's move out."

oooOOOooo

Three concealed people traveling by horse were not that rare sight lately. Weiss wasn't sure if it was always or just in the past weeks. She wouldn't know either way if not for the fact that she experienced that sight many times herself while traveling with Ruby for said past weeks. Although now was different. Now she could enjoy the journey in the saddle of a horse. While it wasn't a carriage, at least it was faster.

This time she got confirmation as to where they were traveling. Further south. Weiss noticed that even when she traveled with Ruby, they were slowly moving in that direction. Less open, as Weiss assumed that they had to keep from the main roads. Confirmation, since all her knowledge came from what she remembered off of maps and names she saw there. She never really asked her dragon where they were heading or why. Not even to confirm her observation about the specific direction, since she wasn't even one hundred percent sure if that was the case.

As she mused earlier, this wasn't as suspicious for them to travel like this. Even now they passed people concealing their faces and bodies with robes, cloaks, and hoods. Sadly, Weiss suspected why. They were victims of the war. Civilians or soldiers from both sides, heading towards the central kingdom, the empire to seek any kind of refugee and escape some kind of ominous fate that would await them otherwise.

While back in the tavern she was told she could speak to Winter and Ruby about this odd situation, the form of their chat was… Obnoxious. As they had to not speak too loud and stop whenever they got too close to anyone. Even if it was just a suspicious activity that might have suggested someone hiding in the nearby bush.

Still, as they entered one of the less-traveled roads, Weiss moved closer to Winter. "Do you think we can resume from before?" Last time she tried to just talk, she was abruptly shushed by her older sister, something that left her ears burning as she felt like she was back in the castle, where she was treated like a child whenever she did something out of line.

"I think it's safe now." Winter nodded, taking a glance around.

"Very well. Since the answers were offered in small pieces to me, I have to ask if I got it right." Weiss paused and glanced at Winter. Without any reaction from her, she assumed she was clear to go on with the topic at hand. "Ruby contacted you directly, explained everything and set up a meeting in which you would help us. No, not even us. Help me."

"Precisely." Winter responded shortly.

"What, per se, is the help you're offering?" This was a very sensitive situation. Was Winter going to risk everything for her and keep them? But wouldn't that mean she just got caged again?

The answer came not from who she suspected, as Ruby slowly joined them, moving on the other side of Weiss. It was clear to Weiss that the redhead was not that good at horseback riding, still, she knew basics and they didn't have any issues so far. "Winter wants to help you fulfill your dream, Weiss." There was a small pause after which Ruby offered a grin. "She'll make you a knight."

Weiss wanted to stop the horse as she heard that, at the last moment fighting that urge off as she knew this wouldn't do much but slow them down. It would be a bad thing, as this was very time-sensitive. Eitherway she was stunned by this odd revelation. Ruby did mention this now and then, but whenever she talked about the topic at hand, knights, the girl never really seemed to understand what it meant. After all, she was what most holy knights would consider a worthy prey. This just meant that Ruby didn't understand fully her dream and how far away it was. Yet she always smiled at those promises. It's not like Ruby meant anything bad with them, right?

Yet here they were. "Winter?" She raised her head and looked at her older sister.

"Yes?" Once more, the older of the two didn't even look her way as she responded.

"Is that true?" She asked, not sure how to feel about all of this. Where exactly were they heading if this was their goal?

"In a way, yes." Weiss noted that this time it wasn't a straight answer. Maybe Winter was as confused by this ordeal as she was?

"Wouldn't our father notice if I joined an order?" She frowned at the idea. Not to mention she would have to leave her previous life behind. Which included Ruby.

"He would. Not to mention it would create a big political scandal." Winter paused for a moment. "Your disappearance already created a mess."

"A mess?" Weiss blinked. Of course, there would be a mess, but she assumed that both of them would take it for granted and not mention it.

"The war between the northern and western kingdoms." Winter explained briefly. The ex-princess could just lower her head. She understood it. Still, being told directly about it in such a manner? It didn't help.

"Hey!" Ruby called out in an annoyed voice, sounding borderline angry. "It's not her fault that your stupid kingdoms have war with one another."

"It is and isn't. But that would be a philosophical dispute and this is neither place nor time for that. Eitherway I'm not blaming you, Weiss. But it is a fact that both kingdoms are using your disappearance as an excuse for war in hopes of claiming some territories they were eyeing for a long time." It should be enough to cheer Weiss up. It was political, sooner or later they would find a different reason for war. Yet… People dying because of her. Not just dying, losing family members, homes and belonging. It just didn't sit right with her.

"Did the church decide on the side?" The ex-princess asked in a meek voice. For a moment she was wondering if Winter even heard her, as she didn't react. As she was wondering if she should repeat her question louder, came a delayed response.

"No. Not yet." Winter shook her head.

"Why should your church interfere in war?" Ruby's question made both of the Schnee to look in her direction. Deciding it would be better if she explained it to the dragon girl, Weiss cleared her throat.

"Ruby, what do you know about human kingdoms?" She quickly considered how to approach this, deciding that the best way would be to start from basics. Meaning she had to understand what kind of knowledge Ruby already had.

"I don't know. There are five of them, right? One in the middle and four around it." Ruby offered a shrug.

"Right, There are four outer kingdoms. North, Eastern, Western and Southern. Respectively named after the side they were bordering with the central kingdom. While the common names for them are these, within themselves and sometimes out of respect, they have their own names. Atlas is the northern kingdom. It's where I and Winter are from. Vacuo is the western kingdom where I… Would be married. Then you have Mystral in east and Vale in the south." Weiss was glad for the distraction as she explained the basic geography to the dragon girl.

"Right, how does that fit into the church meddling with these kingdom's wars?" Ruby tilted her head slightly to the side.

"The central kingdom, The holy empire or just empire, is a holy state. It's ruled by the emperor, which is also the head of the church, the holy pope. It's called the central kingdom by non-humans only, as it's a disgrace to call it anything but an empire. It's the biggest of kingdoms and it's controlling the political flow of the entire human race. Other kingdoms have to respect that, as disrespecting the holy pope is like disrespecting the Celestial Father." Weiss continued, but she noticed that Ruby was still confused once she finished.

Oddly and to her surprise, Winter decided to join in. Maybe bored, annoyed or just wanting to aid her younger sister. "The empire treats this situation as if they were the parent, and the outer kingdoms were children. While they won't always intervene, sometimes they consider their political antics as childish fights and will stop them, usually siding with one of the kingdoms."

Ruby snapped her fingers. "Now I get it. It's dumb but I get it." She chuckled.

Weiss just rolled her eyes, here she thought that she could explain it to her better or in greater detail. Yet here she was proven wrong. "Right, but if I won't join an order, how will I become a knight? Will you just do a mock ceremony where you knight me?" The ex-princess focused her gaze on her sister once more.

"We both know that it wouldn't satisfy you. Besides, you never liked the church and the order. Didn't you always say that they twisted what it meant to be a knight?" To Weiss's surprise, Winter looked her way. She could see the bitter smile on her lips.

"T-Then what's all of this about?" Weiss couldn't keep her composure after what she saw.

Winter had to notice but decided to ignore it. "I'll help you prepare. Once you're ready, you'll be able to go out and become a knight you always wanted. Forge your own path."

The ex-princess wasn't sure what to think about it all. She looked at Ruby, only to see a goofy grin on the girl's face. So this was their plan. Or was this Ruby's plan? "Where are we heading then?"

"To my manor." Winter explained shortly, but she had to feel it wasn't covering everything, continuing after a moment. "It's a place gifted to me for my loyal service. The staff there isn't numerous, but they are loyal and won't sell you out. It's a safe place for us to train and prepare you." She added.

Weiss simply nodded, accepting whatever was laid before her. It would take her days to get a hang of what occurred and what was said today. For now, she just decided to stop questioning things. If this was all true, she would have plenty of opportunities to do so.

oooOOOooo

While not big, the land given to her sister was surely impressive. Hidden among small hills and some woods, surrounded by a small wall, later fence, stood a large house. Weiss wasn't much for architecture, as such the best way to sum it up was to say it looked very cozy. At the gate Winter told them that it was fine to take off the cloaks they were having, greeted by some guards, they were allowed in.

The interior was as expected from such a large house. Numerous rooms. Dining room, ballroom, bedrooms and various smaller places that weren't named, just glanced over briefly. Weiss never knew that Winter had a home of her own, she assumed that she lived in the capital in some kind of knightly barracks or whatnot. While she had a negative attitude towards the knights of the church, she never really looked into how they operated, nor did it interest her whenever the topic was raised.

"You can pick whatever room you wish. The servants are ordered to not do anything on their own, but will assist you if asked." Winter explained as she led them around the house. It was clear that the older of the Schnee sisters wasn't an experienced host, but she did try her best. "I advise against it, as you should learn to be independent." She finished and sent Weiss a stern look.

Weiss felt more offended than intimidated by the accusation. Frowning she replied without even blinking. "The few weeks on the road were enough to make me understand that servants are a thing of the past. I'll be fine."

Winter simply nodded. "I trust you. I have a few boring things to discuss with the steward. As mentioned earlier, pick any room. You'll be called for dinner and you'll inform me which room you picked. Tomorrow morning I'll have a fresh set of clothes for you, as your current ones are… Exploited enough." The knightess started to walk away, but paused and glanced over her shoulder in case there were questions or protests. All she saw was a nod from Weiss, which she returned and moved towards her tasks, leaving the two girls alone in one of the numerous hallways.

Once alone, the apparent tension between the two unveiled itself, as they stood in silence. Neither knowing what to do or what to say. Weiss wasn't sure how she felt. On the one hand, she wasn't really mad at Ruby. The girl didn't want anything bad to happen and not like anything negative did occur. At least not to Weiss. Yet on the other hand, while it was supposed to be a surprise, this felt like once more she was just a pawn on someone's else board. Of course she… She… LIKED Ruby, but there still was that part of her which sipped poison into both her mind and heart. About mistrust of those around her.

"H-Hey Weiss?" Ruby broke the silence, stopping the ex-princesses thoughts, which was good as they started to spiral down a dangerous hole. She turned to face the dragon girl, seeing her troubled expression and erratic body language made Weiss regret her previous thoughts. "I know I should have said something about this, but I wasn't sure how to even start. Then I figured you would be against it and… Well, I thought it would be better to just surprise you. I didn't mean anything bad." The redhead lowered her head. "But I'm sorry if I did."

Ruby resembled a kicked puppy at the moment, or rather a puppy that was being yelled at, which just further softened any kind of hard feelings she had towards the dragon girl. Still, she had to remain firm. Turning around, as to avoid the sight before her, she cleared her throat. "I hate those things. I know I shouldn't dislike it as much, but… I can't help it. What's done is done, but I'd like you to not plan such elaborated things behind my back. Especially if they involve me."

"Y-Yeah, of course. I'm sorry. I won't do that again." She could tell that Ruby was honest. Perhaps even feel? Was this bond between them this strong? Weiss wasn't sure, but she did reckon that this deserved a reward. Maybe, or just something to turn the atmosphere between them from this gloom and into something more cheery.

She looked over her shoulder, trying to keep a stern look on her face as to hide the real intent behind her glance. Ruby stood there as before, her head low and her eyes refusing to look her way. An acceptable setup if anyone asked Weiss. "Ruby." She called out, her voice was already partially fixated with excitement and partially with embarrassment as what she tried to do. Those two elements sipped through the fake annoyed layer which Ruby caught up on almost immediately. Luckily for Weiss, it only confused the dragon girl, as she wasn't able to comprehend what it meant or what was the reason behind that sudden shift.

Spinning around to face the other girl, she grabbed her collar and pulled her in. Usually, she suspected, it wouldn't have much effect on the girl, as she had to be of superior strength, being a dragon and all, but the timing was on her side, as the surprise attack gave her an advantage. Pulling the girl closer, she pressed her lips against those of Ruby. While not the most passionate nor romantic of kisses, yet as short and unfulfilling as it seemed, it was just the right thing both of them needed. Reassurance that everything was alright.

As soon as Ruby was pulled in, she was pushed away. Weiss turned around and began to walk, clearing her throat before calling out to the redhead. "Right, we should find a room for ourselves. Unless you plan on having a room all for yourself, which is fine by me. If that's what you wish."

Between being suddenly pulled in and now, Ruby wasn't even sure what happened. It was all registered by her brain, that wasn't the issue. It was just all… Lacking context to make it fit. At least for a brief moment, before a broad smile blossomed on her lips, as she started to ran after Weiss. "No! No! We can totally share a room! Weiss, wait up!"

oooOOOooo

"I see, I'll have some clothes send by the morning." Winter nodded. They were just done discussing trivial things. Which room they picked, what the routine around the house is and such. Weiss understood this was all-important, both practically as well as for the conversation they were having right now. To ease the mood and slowly escalate the topics they will talk about. Although they did miss out on pleasantries, she didn't expect anything different from Winter.

"This is great!" Ruby announced with a smile. She was referring to the food they were offered. While not a feast, Winter made sure to have at least a few kinds of dishes prepared. Weiss was glad for it, while Ruby's cooking was decent, the lack of tools made its toll on the end product. Besides, for all the shortcomings of her previous life, she never complained about the food. Too often at least.

She shook her head and raised her gaze to look at her older sister. "What will happen now?"

"There are a few steps, but I'm not the one that should begin." Winter nodded towards the dragon girl that sat beside Weiss.

The redhead stopped her eating and glanced between the two Schnee sisters. "Mmm!" As she caught up with the topic at hand, she forced whatever food was in her mouth down her throat. "Right! First, we'll have to get you some knight worthy equipment. Like armor and weapon and all that."

"That's understandable, but why were you supposed to tell me this?" While it sounded like she asked Ruby, the real target of this specific question was Winter, as she was the one suggesting it was the dragon that should begin the explanation.

"Because I'm the one getting you that stuff! Duh." Ruby announced in a matter-of-factly manner.

"You?" Weiss asked and it was impossible to hide her confusion.

"Of course, I might go along with your plan of becoming a knight, but I won't let you endanger yourself wearing some low-quality stuff. That's why we're visiting a dwarven smith that owes me one." Ruby announced proudly.

Weiss just nodded, it was far too late to question anything. Ruby knew a dwarven smith who would make her gear. In hindsight, it was perhaps one of the more logical things that occurred lately. "What next?" The ex-princess turned her eyes and once more laid them on her older sister.

"We need to find someone who would help you with your draconic gift. The third step will be the longest and will be the main reason as to why you're here. You'll train under my eye." Winter explained dryly before taking a sip of wine from the glass she held.

Gift, of course. The thing she did in the tavern. It was magic, it had to be. What else could it be? She never trusted magic, mostly because of the things it could do and how little defense people had against it. And yet here she was, not far from learning it. Not just wanting to, but having to learn it. If it started doing things on its own just because Weiss was under some form of pressure or stress, it could end up in a disaster. She understood why Winter's choice of word was "help". Because it would be that, helping her control it.

"Since everything is settled, I'll take my leave." Winter stood up and turned around ready to leave.

"Wait! You're leaving? Already?" Weiss called after her. This was perhaps the first… Normal interaction she had with her sister for a long time and once all business was done, she would just leave?

The older of the two paused in her steps. "Weiss I… I'm glad you're alright. Deep down, even before Ruby contacted me I knew that you wouldn't just die. You're too sturdy for that. Even so, there was always a part of me that couldn't help but think about your death." She let out a deep sigh. "There will be plenty of time for us to… Talk. Right now you should settle in, rest and prepare for your next small journey." Not waiting for Weiss's response, Winter left the room.

Even if her words were reassuring, Weiss couldn't shake off the bitter feeling that lingered in her chest. It was just frustrating to be so close yet so far away from Winter. Her sister and more often than not the only family member that really felt like that. Like family.

Feeling a familiar gaze on herself, Weiss glanced to the side, meeting worried eyes of Ruby. She didn't say anything, just offering a small, tired smile, hoping it would be enough to reassure the dragon girl. The redhead simply offering a slow nod as she finished the rest of whatever it is she had on her plate.

For now, they should rest. For the first time, she felt safe, not having to look over her shoulder and just enjoy some peace. She trusted Winter. She had to.

oooOOOooo

"What a strange feeling." Weiss commented as she glanced through the window. While it was getting dark outside, she could still get a decent view of the orchard that was maintained not that far away.

"Living in a big place again?" Ruby asked, not even turning as she was looking through the various furniture that was inside the room.

"No, just moving in somewhere, even if temporary, and not having anything with you to put anywhere or be worried if it arrived, nothing. Just walk in and say this is your room now." Weiss chuckled and turned around to look at the redhead who was still occupied with exploring the large room. Relatively large, Weiss suspected, as even their tavern room was tiny in comparison.

There was something she wanted to do, maybe even more now. "Ruby?"

"Mmm?" The dragon girl finally looked her way, seemingly satisfied with her little exploration.

"Do you think you could help me with a bath?" Weiss asked sweetly. There were two ways she could approach this situation, a stern one where she would command the girl, or this one, where she would rather ask nicely. Neither of those was completely serious, but the fake annoyance might have not been seen as fake, considering how today went for both of them. It was safer to just play nice.

It came to no surprise that Ruby groaned at that. "Now? But it's late. I'm tired too, you know." The redhead grumbled.

Weiss was prepared for that, as she approached the other girl and took her hands. "Please? I won't be able to fully relax if I'm feeling all sweaty and dirty after our little journey." She finished with a small smile, as she looked into the silver eyes of the dragon girl.

That, of course, was too much and Ruby had no other choice but to crumble under the request. "Ugh, fine." She rolled those silver eyes and glanced to the side. Weiss had to wonder if it was a side of Ruby she never saw, the fake annoyance, or was she just rubbing off on the dragon girl that much.

Eitherway she just giggled at her antics and moved up to kiss her cheek. This created difficulties for Ruby to try and keep a straight face, as a smile fought its way onto her lips. Before it was fully seen, the dragon girl turned around and started to walk towards the doors. "R-Right, I'll be back in a few."

oooOOOooo

"Ugh, should be enough water." Ruby mumbled to herself as she extracted the last bucket from the well. Even if she was a dragon, those things weighted something and it wasn't a made-up excuse that she was tired after all of today. Still…

"You know that you don't have to be her servant." Came a voice from behind her, turning around Ruby noticed that it was Winter standing on the wide porch with her arms crossed, leaning against one of the supporting pillars.

"Huh? Oh! You mean this?" She raised one of the buckets, before settling them down on the ground. Ruby wasn't sure what Winter wanted, but if there was at least a moment of talking involved, she would rather not hold two full buckets of water.

"You're tired, that's for one. Two, while I said you two shouldn't rely on people working here, you can still ask them to prepare a bath after all this traveling we did." Winter glanced at the night sky.

"I'll be fine. I don't mind that she's relying on me. At least for now." Ruby moved one of her hands behind her neck, rubbing it as she felt a bit awkward discussing this sort of thing with Winter of all people.

The redhead could feel a long, cold stare of Weiss's older sister before the woman gave a small nod. "I came to apologize for what happened earlier today. With the doors."

"Huh? Oh! That, yeah no big deal." Ruby grinned at that. "You had your reasons to not trust me, so I don't really mind that much. It hurt but, well… It's what I get for trying to be clever and plan big things on my own."

"You did well so far. But remember that the only reason I trust you now is that Weiss decided to trust you." There was a hint of… What, a warning? Ruby wasn't sure, but it made the hair on her neck stand up as she heard it. "While she rarely was able to decide on her own, whenever she did? Her decisions put her in a better spot." Winter chuckled at something, and Ruby was wondering how often did this woman actually laugh. "To be honest I think all her decisions, the one she was in full control of that is, lead up to this moment here." Winter let a tired sigh. "I won't keep you from your… Duties anymore. Have a good night." With that said she turned around, wanting to move inside.

"Wait." Ruby called after her, stopping Winter after a few steps. "I know that you don't trust me, it's fine. I'm who I am. I just… I mean, I promise you I will do all I can to protect Weiss, but not just protect her. I'll make her happy. I know that what will make her happy will also put her in danger, but I'm aware that this is how she wants to live. Happy, not caged just to feel safe." Ruby wasn't sure of her reaction, as Winter stood as she did, frozen in place almost. Moments before Ruby wanted to ask her, the woman spoke.

"Please do. Succeed where I failed." With that said, she entered the house, leaving Ruby alone with her two buckets of water. It wasn't any kind of big surprise to Ruby to hear words like that. She suspected and had it confirmed that the relations between Weiss and Winter had to be… Complicated, as would be their past.

She shook her head, this wasn't important right now. Weiss was waiting for her and the sooner she has her bath, the sooner both of them can go to bed.

oooOOOooo

Ruby rarely needed to use her… Powers? Magic? Only when dealing with humans did she need to come up with a proper word. Magic was a safe bet most of the time. Only after they started traveling together, which wasn't that long, did she even test them to this degree. Test it, magic that is. Sure, it was for minuscule things like heating water, but she never really needed that for herself.

She let a small sigh as she decided the water had to be of appropriate temperature. She had to do it slowly. The first time she tried it, she thought that the sooner the better, and she boiled the water to the point it mostly evaporated from the wooden tub.

"Weiss? I think it's ready. I'll make sure it is and leave you to it." She called out, still glancing at the water. She heard the footsteps getting closer behind her, but before she could turn around she felt a pair of arms wrap around her waist. Soon she felt the girl fully embracing her, clinging to her from behind with her entire body. Well, as much of it as she could at least. "Weiss?" She called out to her. Something was out of place and it didn't take long for Ruby to suspect what that might be.

She inhaled sharply at the thought. "W-Weiss? A-Are you… I mean… Y-You're… Are you?" She wasn't even sure how to ask about it. If that was the case, it meant that Weiss was going to… Was she?

"Yes, Ruby? I'm what?" She asked playfully.

"R-Ready for the bath? I-I mean, r-regarding your attire heh." She felt stupid, but she couldn't think of any different way of asking this. Not right now. It was just so sudden, so out of nowhere.

"See for yourself." The ex-princess said, her voice husky and quiet as she took Ruby's hands and guided them to her sides. There, she forced her palms to brush against her skin. Just as she suspected, Weiss was… Naked.

"I-I thought you wanted to take a bath. It'll get cold." Ruby felt her heart begin to race. She wasn't even sure why she was saying this anymore, as if she was against whatever it is that Weiss planned. Was she playing along? Was she just so sure that Weiss would push her further?

"I did, but I never said I wanted you to leave after helping me with it or did I?" Weiss answered, her own hands moved across the dragon girl's chest.

Ruby's previous plan crumbled into pieces at that, the one about going to bed earlier or at least after the bath. Such were the consequences of bonding with a princess.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm back. Bad stuff happened which pulled me away from writing, but I'm back now. Don't worry, All is fine now. While I usually like to get myself back into this writing thing with a one-shot of sorts, I decided that I had enough inspiration and will to continue something I already have out.
> 
> Obviously I'm not really satisfied with how this chapter came out, but it is what it is. I suck at writing fluff, hence why I try to put small parts of it here or there to at least practice as much as possible.
> 
> Also according to grammarly I really overuse the world really. Like, really guys I really do.
> 
> I also hate to explain my AU's as I always feel anxious and stupid whenever I do.
> 
> Enough of my low self-esteem. Hope this chapter was at least partially entertaining.


	3. Paved by Weakness

Weiss slowly opened her eyes, embracing reality. While her movement was sluggish at best, she could feel her heart pounding inside her chest, reminding her of what just happened. Nightmare. Not the first and most likely not the last. Yet it was the fact that she had one every night since that day in the inn. They weren't like that one dream though, the one that engraved itself inside her mind. Those were more... Normal? Normal because they faded away from her mind like any other dream. Maybe a detail she held onto, but it quickly lost context, thus becoming little more than a useless shell of the source material. At first, Weiss wanted to keep a dream journal, but the idea that the dreams would form a pattern terrified her. While usually, she was far from being paranoid over things like this, ever since meeting Ruby, she was more eager to believe them. If a year ago she was told about meeting a dragon and falling in love with it, she would laugh at that idea. Yet here she was.  
She glanced at her side, laying beside her was Ruby. While it was explained to her how dragons don't have to sleep, they still need to rest and the process is very similar to how humans slept but not really. That was the gest of it, which confused Weiss, but she just shrugged and accepted it. Ruby wasn't the best teacher about dragon-related topics, although she did try her hardest  
Not wanting to wake the other girl, she sat up on the bed. The moment she uncovered herself, she could feel the chill of the night biting at her skin. For once, she accepted that with a smile. It assured her this was reality. It calmed her, at least to some degree. Standing up was a different story, as even she had to wince as she felt the cold floor under her bare feet. Still, she slowly wandered towards the window, glancing at the night sky over the orchards.  
Nights were always so mesmerizing to her. Perhaps part of the reason was that at night she was left alone, away from the duties of a princess. Even then, there was serenity in it. Quiet beauty. As seductive as dangerous. Weiss chuckled at that, how poetic. Or lame, most likely the latter, considering her poetic skills.

"I won't let anyone but me see you like this." These words came from behind Weiss, as the girl could feel the quilt from the bed surround her body once more. Oddly enough, even if she did not see it coming, she wasn't surprised. As if part of her brain was aware that Ruby was moving behind her. Maybe that was the case? Who knew what it meant to have part of a dragon merge with your own soul.

"I apologize, I couldn't sleep and I didn't want to wake you up with tossing around." Weiss felt the other girl wrap her arms around her, which she accepted, grateful for the gesture if anything. This was the best remedy for her bad mood right now.  
Noticing something in the window, she rolled her eyes. "Should I allow others to see you like this, though?" Weiss moved her head to nudge it gently against that of Ruby.

The dragon girl simply buried her face against her neck, murmuring as she responded. "Are you inviting me inside?" She asked, clearly meaning the cover that Weiss had around herself.

This made Weiss blush, as she shook her head. "M-Maybe some other time." As sad as it was, Weiss was simply too exhausted for any kind of... This. This hand-holding, what else.

"I noticed you were tired ever since we came here. Even if your sleepless nights would go past me, I would still figure out something was wrong" Ruby's words, more serious this time, got Weiss' attention.

The human girl let a small sigh, of course, Ruby would notice. It was a week since they arrived here, and while settling in they had plenty of free time. Most of that time was her just yawning and shambling around. Perhaps Ruby wasn't the only one that noticed, yet they all ignored it for the sake of being polite. The question was, how long till even they would have to question it. How long till it would become so apparent, that even the servants would start asking if she was alright.

"I'm having nightmares." She began. Should she tell about the dream from the inn? Would Ruby get mad for lying to her?

"Mmm..." Ruby nodded, gently resting her chin on Weiss' shoulder.

"I...I..." Weiss bit her lower lip. "I lied." She closed her eyes. There, she did it. She admitted to it.

"You were scared, weren't you?" Ruby asked softly, her hands moving under the sheets that Weiss was surrounded by. They felt warm, Ruby's hands always felt warm. It never felt bad to feel her touch, although it always made Weiss worry if her hands seemed cold against the dragon's skin.

"I was." Weiss nodded and hang her head in shame. She was a coward, there was no escaping that.

"I figured. I knew you were hiding something, and before you get any silly ideas, no I can't read your mind. I just knew. I simply waited for when you would feel comfortable to tell me." Weiss gasped as she was suddenly spun around to face Ruby. It took her a moment to orient herself, and once she did, there was a moment of hesitation before she glanced up. She was used to looks of disappointment. People looking down at her because of who she was. High expectations and the chance to show some disdain to the crown. It was always there whenever she did something bad. It didn't matter how big it was or if she admitted to it or if she was even aware. No, it was part of her heritage.  
This is why when she looked up, she couldn't understand. She expected to see disappointment, but she saw none. Then her brain caught up and thought that Ruby would never be like that. That there should be a smile and understanding. Even that wasn't present. Not exactly what she would call a smile. What painted Ruby's face, was a grin. There was no sadness, no disappointment. There was... Confidence? Was this it? Weiss was baffled by the dragon girl, not the first and most likely, not the last time. The confusion had to be plainly written on her face since Ruby giggled and took hold of Weiss' cheeks and leaned in. Silver eyes were all that Weiss could see at the moment. "I love you, and I trust you. Have some trust in me as well."

Overshadowed by everything else, this sudden confession made Weiss lose her balance. Physically. As she stumbled back a step, her cheeks ablaze as she took the extra effort to push the other girl away, with however meek her attempt was. "Dolt!" The redhead laughed as she herself took a step back if only to play along with the little push she received. Weiss turned around, wanting to hide at least part of her embarrassment, reaching for the cover that was put around her earlier, she noticed it was no longer there. Did she drop it when she was spun? Maybe. Picking it up right now would just show that she was troubled, as such her stubbornness made her simply stand there with her arms crossed.

Soon she felt something wrap around her, to no surprise it was Ruby, hugging her from behind. "I'm glad you're feeling better." Ruby spoke with a husky voice, nuzzling into Weiss' neck.

The human girl had to curl her toes to stop herself from giving off any signs that Ruby's actions were affecting her in any way. "You're awful."

"That's me, a big awful scary dragon, rawr!" Ruby announced proudly and bit into her neck, if it could even be called that, as the redhead's teeth barely grazed the skin, still, it made Weiss jump, although not much as her toes never left the ground. After she regained her composure, she remained in Ruby's embrace, leaning back against her. She remained silent, announcing in a non-verbal way that while it was fun, she no longer felt like continuing this... Game, for lack of a better term. Ruby had to get that, as she leaned forward to nuzzle against Weiss' cheek. "I think we should go to Winter tomorrow, and there you should tell us about this dream."

Weiss wasn't too surprised by this suggestion, although it was odd that Winter had to hear about it. Perhaps she was too exhausted from... Everything tonight to even be surprised at this point. "Why?" She simply asked.

"It might be important. I think she should know. As your sister and an important figure in your human society." Ruby explained in a calm voice.

"Right, as someone important." Weiss nodded bitterly. Would Winter even care? Or would this be treated as her complaining to her about a nightmare, like she was nothing but a scared little girl?

"For now we should go back to sleep." Ruby said, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the bed. That broke her chain of thoughts that started to form inside her mind.

"Right. If I'll be able to." Weiss let a sad, tired sigh. Maybe telling Ruby about it would help? Hopefully.

"I might have a solution for this, at least for tonight." Ruby announced as she turned around and winked.

"You know a magic trick to help with nightmares?" Weiss' eyes grew wide as hope started to fill her heart.

"Not exactly magic, but I know something that should help, at least for tonight. Starting tomorrow, we'll find a proper solution." Ruby explained as she led her towards the bed. Weiss wasn't sure what the plan was, but just like she was asked to earlier, she trusted the dragon girl. Although the length of said trust would be tested, as Ruby laid down on the bed and reached invitingly towards her. "Here, I promise your nightmares won't appear tonight."

Weiss was confused at first, although it didn't take long before she understood. "Wait, you... I mean, it will get uncomfortable for you after a bit." She shook her head.

"It's fine, I'm sturdier than you think, so it won't affect me as much. Besides, it's just one night, I can manage. I promise." Ruby explained as she kept her arms stretched towards her. Those words were so much like a sweet promise, that Weiss wanted to reject just because of that. The intrigue was one of the classes she had as royalty and sweet deals never came without additional, unsaid cost. Yet, this was Ruby. She had to remember that she was no longer in her castle, for better or worse. She was with the girl that broke her free from the cage. Besides, she was tired. Dead tired, a night, even if one, of sleep undisturbed by bad dreams sounded like something she could pay anything to have.

"Fine." Not wanting to sell herself short, she tried to sound as annoyed as she could muster, she knew she had to put more energy into her act, as the weariness would affect it. She climbed the bed and laid down on top of Ruby. Immediately she felt the other girl's arms wrap around her. Deciding to not question anything that was said by the dragon girl, she shifted around till she found a comfortable position. At least for now. With her arms along Ruby's body, where her hands sunk under the pillows. Weiss' head rested on top of her chest, where she could feel the powerful heartbeat of the dragon girl. She crossed her legs around one of Ruby's and closed her eyes.  
It felt so warm and the sound of Ruby's heartbeat was almost hypnotic. Still, there was something missing. "We forgot the covers."

"I'll keep you warm, don't worry." Another promise, another thing Weiss would entrust to the other girl. If Ruby said not to worry about it, just for tonight, she wouldn't offer it a second thought. Soon, the exhaustion took over. With all her senses being bombarded by the presence of her bondmate, Weiss fell asleep.

oooOOOooo

If anyone asked Weiss, morning came too early. As the light shone into her eyes, she wrapped pulled the covers over her head. She was tired, there was nothing she had to do today and for once in a long time, she could actually sleep. Morning could wait, at least today. She was about to wrap herself into a small cocoon when her mind had just enough time to notice how odd that was. Didn't they leave sleep without the covers?  
She sprung up and looked around, for whatever reason this change in the narrative made all the sleep disappear from her body. She was in the same bed from last night, but without Ruby and with the quilt on top of her.

"You really needed that sleep huh?" Ruby's voice brought her attention, as she looked in the direction of the dragon girl. Standing next to the window, fully clothed, her silver eyes glanced her way.

"How long did I sleep? How long were you awake?" Weiss took a small sigh to calm herself, rubbing her eyes. It was true, she really needed this sleep. Although she was afraid of the bags under her eyes that had to form because of this by now.

"I woke up way earlier, mostly to make sure nobody disturbs you. I told the servants and Winter that you'd be resting till... Well, until you decide not to anymore." Ruby answered and started to walk her way. Although Weiss noticed she just answered half of her question.

"What time is it? Am I late for breakfast?" While no longer bound by her old rules, she did live by them for long enough to instinctively feel frightened at the prospect that she could oversleep, even if there was nothing to attend to. No meal schedule was set.

"Eh... You should forget about breakfast since it's almost time for lunch." Ruby shrugged as she casually glanced at the window as if to make sure.

"What?! I slept for so long?" Weiss hid her face inside her hands. That explained why her stomach felt so empty. The appetite was not yet there since she never really liked to eat shortly after waking up, still, once her body wakes up properly? She'll be ravenous.  
That didn't really bode well for today. Lazy and gluttonous.

"Hey, you deserved some rest. Don't overthink it." Ruby sat at the bed and wrapped her arm around her.

"Old habits die hard." Weiss shook her head.

"Maybe, but do you feel better?" The dragon girl rubbed her shoulder as she asked. Weiss never knew that such a small gesture could bring such relief.

"Do I? Hm..." She frowned as if this required deeper analysis. Outside of her little panic and the feeling of self-disappointment rooted deep inside of her, she felt... Good. Physically, at least. With the past few days, she started growing accustomed to being constantly exhausted, as such this felt almost as if she was invigorated. "I actually do. What did you do?"

"Me? Nothing, I just held you till your mind calmed down and didn't throw nightmares your way." Ruby shrugged nonchalantly. "What? I really didn't cast any magic at you, I swear!" Ruby added as she noticed the pair of blue, skeptical eyes sending a doubtful gaze her way.

Weiss let shook her head and leaned against Ruby. "I'm grateful. I really do feel better." She followed that with a sigh. "You're always doing things for me, and there's nothing I can repay you with."

"Your smile is all the reward I need." Ruby responded, which made Weiss roll her eyes.

"Look at you, being a romantic charmer." Weiss chuckled.

"Anything for a pretty lady." The dragon girl followed, and this time Weiss just groaned.

"Stop! Not this early... Well, not right after waking up." She nudged Ruby with her elbow.

"Oof, alright, alright, I'm sorry." Ruby squirmed as she felt the elbow hit her ribs. "But I do mean all those words, you know that, right?" The dragon girl leaning down a bit to plant a soft kiss against Weiss' cheek.

As much as she wanted, The princess knew she wouldn't be able to fight off the smile that was the immediate effect of Ruby's words and actions. As such she just gave up, allowing it to blossom fully on her lips, as she reached out to wrap both her arms around the girl's waist. "I know."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I broke my own rule with this one, and I posted something under 3k words. I didn't want to forcibly pad it out, I didn't want to merge it with the next thing that I planned for this story to not ruin the mood of this chapter and... Well, it is what it is. So if anyone is bothered by it, I am aware and I apologize. I just really wanted to post something WhiteRosey since I haven't in a bit.
> 
> I won't lie, I was really burned out on WR and volume 7 really annoyed me and "meh'ed" me towards WR. The sheer lack of anything meaningful between the two was... Disappointing. But the volume (which was amazing) ended and I can feed up my ship energy with fan stuff, stories, and art, so I'm slowly getting better.
> 
> I was nervous about writing this. For one, it was a long time since the last time I wrote in this AU and I always like to twist those characters in some way with each and every AU I make. Two, I suck at writing floof, so I apologize that this entire chapter is basically that. Garbage I mean floof. Which is garbage when I make it. But it is what it is. I hope some of you had at least some level of entertainment out of it. I tried my best, I swear!
> 
> Thanks for reading and I hope you enjoyed and I'll see you next update, whatever it is you'll read that I will update.


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